The_Witching_Hour

Sometimes I would venture from my sepulchre to the jazz of night Paris, where having gathered the colours, I would think them over in front of the fire. I could be seen walking through a funeral corridor of my house and descending down a black spiral of steep stairs; rushing underground to Montmartre, all impatience to see the fiery rubies of the Moulin Rouge cross. I wondered thereabouts, then bought a ticket to watch frenzied delirium of feathers, vulgar painted lips and eyelashes of black and blue. Naked feet, and thighs, and arms, and breasts were being flung on me from bloody-red foam of translucent clothes. The tuxedoed goatees and crooked noses in white vests and toppers would line the hall, with their hands posed on canes. Then I found myself in a pub, where the liqueurs were served on a coffin (not a table) by the nickering devil: "Drink it, you wretched!" Having drunk, I returned under the black sky split by the flaming vanes, which the radiant needles of my eyelashes cross-hatched. In front of my nose a stream of bowler hats and black veils was still pulsing, foamy with bluish green and warm orange of feathers worn by the night beauties: to me they were all one, as I had to narrow my eyes for insupportable radiance of electric lamps, whose hectic fires would be dancing beneath my nervous eyelids for many a night to come. White gardenia, ambergris bouquet, lavender fougere, orange blossom, melissa, tobacco flower, coriander, ebony wood, ylang ylang, absinthe and aged whiskey. First sniff: Oh God, I'm going to be ordering MORE of this...I can tell already. This is beautiful; complex bouquets and woodsy, but not overpoweringly so. Wet On Skin: The tobacco flower comes out and plays in this mix along with what I would know as 'melissa' and orange blossom. Not overly floral at all, which is surprising me with all the bouquets and single floral listings. Maybe the coriander and ebony wood are balancing this out? Dry down: Ahhhhhhh.....the aged whiskey and (must be) absinthe are finally giving this gorgeous blend an air of power and sillage. This is a very well rounded blend and one that I will never have to be in the 'mood' to wear. So far this has been the surprise blend of my newer GC releases. I expected Tavern Of Hell to be so much heavier but am speeachless with the beauty of this blend! The bottom line: Had the 10mL's not have disappeared already I would have been purchasing a much bigger supply! Added description, and changed title to match Lab site ("Tavern of Hell" rather than "The Tavern of Hell"). --Shollin

CAT ALLINGHAM Catherine Allingham, the world's greatest detective, has been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor and given six months to live. But she refuses to go quietly. She's determined to first unravel the greatest mystery of all--what happens to us when we die? Cat and her brawny assistant, James Doyle, chase the secret of the afterlife around the globe in this fast-paced graphic novel! Distilled shadows, a bleak desert landscape at midnight: Myroswelia balsam, gaïac wood, obsidian musk, green cumin, patchouli, myrrh, Siamese benzoin, frankincense, champaca, and sand. This really is a well blended oil to start off with. So much so I'm having difficulty picking out notes from the bottle and upon initial application. I don't know why or where I get a feel of incense in this but it reminds me a lot of Capela Dos Ossos shortly after initial application. I think I’m picking up on the "sand" note from both blends and kind of jumbling them in my mind. After about 20 minutes the cumin, patchouli and champaca really start to sing! This is one complex scent that keeps changing every 10-15 minutes. Given the scent description alone (above) about Cat Allingham, this is starting to make sense to me as this fragrance continues to morph. After 3 hours of constant and beautiful change, I’m left with a combination of musk, light balsam (almost vanilla/creamy in "feel"), frankincense and a hint of "shifting sand". This is so evocative of a dark, changing desert landscape at night. It wears very close to the skin and it's quite a beauty! I feel as if I've been transported on a journey to Egypt with this one! For its continually changing qualities when worn.....a perfect scent for a Gemini or anyone that wants to change fragrances every few hours because this one will change itself for you.

(no scent description given) B340 - This scent reminds me of violet candies, absinthe, dried crackling rose petals (not straight up rose or I couldn't wear it), scented dusting powder of the era, lipstick tubes from days gone by, boutonniere waiting to be pinned.... The final resting point on this one is violet candies, complete with the powdery film they have on them in the tin. It really does give me imagery of a 1940's dressing room where the woman is getting ready for a night out while her partner waits in the sitting area sipping an absinthe martini.

(no scent description given) The Sailing Stones of Death Valley - One beautifully blended scent! It's the perfect combination of greenery found in the desert (desert melon, prickly pear cactus, bristle cone pine) and hot, but not scorching earth. A little incense and resin ground this one and keep it from going aquatic. Reminiscent of 51 in the beginning but with SO much more interest when the elements of 'heat' introduce themselves. If 51 was too aquatic for you - this is what you're looking for as the 'heat' isn't scorching but more of what you might consider a "healing heat" (sauna, heating stones for therapy). A perfect embodiment of California, New Mexico and Arizona - which are places I would rest my head on at any given moment. Very well rounded and a true beauty!!!

I have to admit this is probably the only amber variety that doesn't turn blends from the Lab that contain "amber" when they hit my skin into "instant baby powder". A little bit of sweet, most certainly mellow, very smooth...it's absolutely dead-on and beautiful! As Invidiana posted above, it takes on an exotically warm and musky quality that is downright addictive. She was also spot on with the inclusion of sensuous amber with nuances of Egyptian musk, caramel, benzoin, vanilla, incense and (very little) smoke. For a single note, this is clean yet complex. Its a wonderful addition to blends you love that could use a bit of seductive interest. This is a MUST HAVE.

WOW. This truly is the King of "winter"! From first sniff, I'd have to say this is Skadi's BIG brother. Deeper, stronger, more robust. I didn't know Holly King had a story behind it and was surprised when I found it to be a speculated archetype of English folklore. Robert Graves proposed in "The White Goddess" that two mythical creatures, the Holly King and the Oak King, representing two halves of the year, perpetually strive for superiority, the Holly King triumphing over the Oak King at midwinter and the Oak King triumphing in turn at midsummer. These pairs are seen as the dual aspects of the male Earth deity, one strong in the summer and one strong in the winter. Given in similar interpretations in Wiccan seasonal rituals, the Holly King is represented by holly and evergreens, and personifies the dark half of the Wiccan Wheel of the Year. He is also seen by some Neopagans as the early inspiration for the Santa Claus legend. These are big shoes to fill (obviously) and I believe Beth did a wonderful job in her interpretation of Holly King! At first, this is like breathing in an icicle. It's cold, snowy but not slushy (this is colder than slush). It's more like a silent forest on a calm night, after fresh snow has fallen and settled for hours. It's full of evergreen, holly berries, spice (maybe some cranberry, too) and most surprisingly....warmth underneath. It's clean, crisp and beautifully choreographed. I was surprised with how "clean" this one wore after 6-8 hours, especially with the bold and effervescent start. Once I read the mythology behind Holly King, it made so much sense, though – since he is succeeded by Oak King in the summer (spring would be a clean ending, right?). Fabulous concept! I hope to see these come to life one day.

This really was a surprise hit for me as blends I've tried that include this note have been a combination of either 1) OMG -how pretty! 2) Hmmmm....interesting. I'm not sure what's making this not work for me 3) NO WAY. This just isn't for me. So, in summary I think I'm safe to say that Oak Moss was never a deal breaker in notes for me when I originally thought it was. Its pretty by itself- very comforting and similar to what I remember when walking through the trees of the Deep South (Louisiana) and taking a moment to just inhale my surroundings. I truly love it for its evocative statement and wish I had just a bit more to enjoy!

Bolded mine above because I've put this much thought into this (x3) as we've moved my collection 3 times across 10 states. By checking your suitcase on the journey from CA to HI, you are controlling the consistency of your collection in the best way you can. Plus, you'll have plenty of time to wrap your bottles the way you want them on the road trip from PA to CA. Excellent idea and what I would have done in your case, as well from past experience. BRAVO!

Just a tiny voice of reason: USPS (your post office) uses the "aircraft people that handle your baggage" as a way to get your mail flown to destinations. I worked for Continental Airlines for 10 years and we always held the contract for USPS in that time - mostly because we were the cheapest bidder on the contract, resulting from the bankruptcies we went through in the 90's and...........government contracts are ALWAYS awarded to the cheapest bidder. So, you won't see your parcels thrown around on the tarmac at the same time your baggage is loaded into the plane but these same employees are the ones responsible for loading the containers and bins of USPS parcels. I agree with Molls that you should use double packaging - placing your bubble wrapped bottles within a plastic container to secure them. DH and I have moved all over the US with my collection in the last 6 years and if you can send your collection in pieces to someone in Hilo, that's the optimum solution. Nothing of mine has been broken this way. If you package them in a suitcase, how do you plan on shipping them?

Correct in the mix of amber 10ml bottles in the mix! All the 10mls I ordered before they were discontinued (I love that the Lab gives us notice on this stuff in advance so I could order all my last minute 10ml "must haves") in August came to me in amber bottles. I have a fair mix of both amber and cobalt 10mls.

This is one blend I should have purchased a bottle of instead of just a decant. The mention of clove scared me off originally because I tend to amp clove until I'm convinced I'm wearing nothing BUT clove. BUT......... This is absolutely gorgeous! From start to dry down there isn't a stage that disappoints me in the least. I'm compelled to compare this to Marianne from Carnaval Diabolique. Remarkably, a lot of the notes are similar but replace mimosa with clove and you have Mircalla - so if you missed Marianne before she was discontinued and lost out.......this is as close as you can get! I'm guessing clove keeps red musk in line for me. In the past, most of the blends released that have had red musk in them have a tendency to have a 'candy' feel. This is perfectly balanced. Just as Femme_Fatale wrote earlier....I have to agree with her that this one just gets better and better and I keep going back to my arm where I applied it for another huff.

OMG – this is Doc Buzzard's younger brother (he has to be younger, right?? I mean he never ages as he's a VAMPIRE!) kept alive as the suave undead, roaming the Earth forever. He's classy, sexy, smooth, wears expensive cologne and the hint of blood tells you he might be "dangerous". Where Doc Buzzard has sassafras in the dry down, Sacrifice's dry down on me is woodsmoke. Reminds me that he's been around enough to heat up my blood…… after all, where there is smoke there's fire! Don't let your mother warn you away from this man. Seriously multiple bottle-worthy. I finally have a new scent to love as much as Doc Buzzard and for many niche reasons to love him.

(no scent description given) The Ghosts of the Arroyo Seco Bridge - This is hauntingly beautiful. It is ethereal; evoking images of fallen wisteria petals slowly decaying on the banks of the river. A subtle aquatic, a slightly "green" beginning with warm floral overtones - the body of this fragrance is wisteria. The other notes are just nuances that disappear as the fragrance wears down to a dry stage.

WOW. This one is hard to piece together and uber-faceted, to boot. It starts out with a sunflower vibe. If you've smelled the Salon release of "Sunflower", its similar but thankfully lacks the punch in the face of SUNFLOWER.....I'M HERE!! Its just a golden feel, a mix of sandalwood and a dash of myrrh. Then the stage opens up to what smells like smoking sage. Very cool! How does she do this??? Its a smoldering sensation without the smoke or fire (Priala- I'm looking at you and can't wear you because of that), warm without being hot (I can't wear most cinnamon and cassia blends, either) and finally dries down to a golden herb smell with the smoldering still lingering. Very wearable, very evocative.

Tramp totally nailed this review *spot on*! It does remind me of some of my favorites but yet its like nothing I've had the privilege of huffing and/or owning. There's a melon aspect that comes to surface in the beginning but it doesn't "own" it. Just enough to give it a fresh vibe and lead into the stage of "gingered lily" that I so much adore in this one. I also agree with Lycanthrope to the reference of cognac. It has a sweet/boozy feel in addition to the fruits, without the addition of honey. I can say this reassuringly because honey is a disaster on me in most forms, although I adore sniffing it (honey)..... I just can't "wear it". Another bottle winner for me and truly a masterpiece!!!

WOWSA! The beginning of this blend starts out like Urd but without muscadine. Red and/or black patchouli, and in one of the most beautifully rich and sinister forms.....oh, how GORGEOUS!!! I agree with Tramp....who needs a man with this scent in your hands???? So similar to Doc Buzzard but without a sassafras note (which gives Doc a bit of effervescence). Kroenen is dark, sinister, elegant and sleek....if you're on its side (wearing it). Another fantastic impression scent.....this one will be a bottle purchase when/if released.

Another interesting blend! I have only a few blends that rose works on me and thankfully, rose behaves in this one enough to let something similar to leather rise to the top, after a metallic note (?) wears off. Very multi-faceted and brings to mind a woman in leather, adorned with spikes, of course. Beautiful imagery!!!

The more I thought about what I was smelling......the more I realized the genius behind this one. Someone said up-thread this one has a tranquility about it. I agree with that impression as much as I think a 'psychological' horror would have a tranquil side to it; almost a comforting feel to it as well. I see the sno-cake shower gel reference and is a bit in the same vein as Buck Moon as far as some musk. Haunting and ethereal as it is, after 6-7 hours, the drydown is so soft that you wonder if it was ever there. Very well thought out. Now THAT'S a psychological horror!

Bat of Good Death: I couldn't agree with the above reviewer more - this is the smoothest and most relaxing resinous blend I've had the pleasure of owning. Its "wood" without being in the thick of a cedar pitch; its coconut, but more about the serrated texture on the outside of the fruit as opposed to the essence of the foody inside. Its not dark, deep or thick-feeling but more comforting in the way of your most precious blanket to curl up inside of. If I had to say what this scent evoked in me (because I can't pin down single notes in this one).....it reminds me of my visit to Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, Canada - its not just a historic chapel of pews containing over 500 years of history and polished wood to contain them but the love that created memories of it all. Its not simple - but a complete sensation of life's memories. This one is not to be missed!!! I'm beginning to wonder if the 5 Bat's Day scents were meant to be a "life's event" in all its glorious stages.

Bat of Virtue: I have to say first off that I was a little nervous about the rose in this. In my experience with bpal in the last 5-6 years, there are a few rose blends that "sing" to me and some where the rose just takes over. Thankfully and due to the type of rose or what other notes it was mixed with, the rose adds just a subtle floral aspect to the overall effect. This is another Bat blend that didn't change much for me in the way of sniffing from the bottle, application and to drydown. Quite simply, this smells to me of walking in a field of strawberries. The anise gives the blend the feel of "stems and greens" for me; the rose lends the blend that feeling of strawberry blossoms. To top it off, this is the freshest smelling strawberry note to date I've smelled in a bpal blend! Truly beautilful! I hope once the cooler weather comes back around that this blend will last just a bit longer on me as it has a "lighter" feel to it.

Bat Of Wealth: This is gorgeous freshly sniffed from the bottle all the way to drydown! It doesn't change much at all on me and has lasted all throughout the day while being very close to the skin. I keep getting wafts of it where it touched my sleeve from initial application (thus stronger) and I continually find myself huffing my shirt sleeve. In a nutshell, this is what I wanted Agony of Heartache to smell like. The patchouli is brightened enough by the blackberryberry and pomegranate combination to carry this scent to a year around love. So if you liked Agony of Heartache in the beginning, found the citrus notes to stand out the longer you wore it and decided it wasn't for you even though you loved the blackberry.....HUNT THIS ONE DOWN, SERIOUSLY! This combination will not disappoint you. Oh, so happy I took a chance on this bottle.

I agree with Midnight Aeval about the "cake" in this one. It has a buttery, sweet top and also a slight spiciness underneath. It starts off smelling of rich, delectable cheesecake. Only after 10 minutes or so does the subtle spiciness underneath peek its head. I wonder if this was one of the Yule 08 cookie scents that didn't go live or maybe a prototype of one that did make the list? It has the same feel as Monsterbait: Closet does to me - a rich, sweetness that never falls into "plastic" territory (I've had the misfortune of some cheesecake or sweet blends do this on my skin) and ending with a spicy edge to keep it grounded. My guess is a Yule cookie or Monsterbait blend before final "going live" stamp on this one!

Biz4brent has a pretty well trained nose - had it not of been for their review, I may not have been able to pin down some of the initial notes. This is a well rounded version of Ravenous at first. As it starts to settle, the spices become richer and deeper than what Ravenous has to offer. What I perceive as "orange or orange zest" starts to wear off and leaves traces of cloves swimming in a gorgeous pool of patchouli. This is a graceful morpher! I like every stage of this oil - from the heady start of fruit and spice....to the drydown - with its smoky ending. I only wish I had an idea what part of the catalog (or LE) category this would have been meant for! Truly a haunting blend that will leave you guessing but coming back to continually huff your arm!

If it was originally purchased from the Lab in 2003, it had to be EARLY 2003. I have imps that look like that (with the cork and hand labeled) but my bottle of Snow White 2003 is one of the next generation 'squat' bottles that came into existance right before the cobalt bottles in 2004 I purchased. Pictured here:

If I'm not mistaken, those are some of BlackRayne's personal bottles she had on LJ (Marketplace) awhile back. She had about 4-5 of theses 30ml bottles listed and Dragon's Milk, Dana O'Shee and Dorian were a few that I remember sold first (so maybe wikkidraven purchased these 2), there were pictures on her entry and these look just like them. The 'give-away' for me is the fact they don't have handwriting on the label's as Beth and the Lab's 30ml bottles DO have personal hand written names on the labels as I purchased one of the Lab's on Ebay when they were cleaning house. The bottles that they lab had for sale with the hand written labels were 4oz bottles (or 125ml) - not 30ml bottles AHA! Good catch, Tramp! I just had my 4oz bottle out and was wondering why a standard Lab written label would look so 'big' on a 30ml bottle when in fact 125ml is MUCH bigger than 30ml.